


In Memorium

by DrSteggy



Category: Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Typical Violence, Gen, Major Character Injury, Master Sword (Legend of Zelda), Memory 17, One Shot, The Great Calamity (Legend of Zelda)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:34:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24364387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrSteggy/pseuds/DrSteggy
Summary: This was part of a writing challenge on a Zelda Amino- the prompt was In Memoriam. I decided to riff off memory #17 in Breath of the Wild.
Kudos: 13





	In Memorium

It’s gotten easier to keep pace with him, though she is exhausted. Her lungs burn. Her feet ache in the ceremonial sandals she still wears. They were not meant for running, and she has run all the way from Lanayru after him.

They have been running for hours. It was still daylight when they started, and it is dark now. The air is full of smoke and violence, the ever present sound of Guardian Stalkers seemingly everywhere. They have been chased all this way to Blatchery Plain by the remarkably agile machines that were supposed to serve Hyrule but are instead hunting them down. They had almost succeeded, too, but Link managed to deflect the beam weapon back at the stalker that had found them, though not after taking a hit himself.

The blood staining the blue champion’s tunic seemed to grow with every step he took. She does not understand how he is staying up, never mind moving forward. 

Then he stumbles, falling forward, hand still on the hilt of his sword. He does not rise right away, and fear boils up inside her as she rushes to him. She gets to his side as he struggles, using the legendary sword to haul himself up. The blade seems to reflect her master’s health, its once shining surface now chipped and mottled with malice. She begs him to go, to save himself, but still he slowly rises. He does not seem to hear her. His eyes are glassy and far off, it is as though he is being driven by a larger purpose.

And then she hears the sand on metal sounds, and there’s a flickering red point of light on his chest. She looks up, going cold as the stalker in front of them rises up on its spidery legs and the weapon in its eye charges. This one is not alone, she counts at least three others closing in on them.

Link is on his feet, and he is pale and panting, still using the sword as a crutch, though he moves to pull the tip out of the muddy ground against his assailant. It’s too much for her and she shouts  _ NO _ , raising her right hand up and stepping in front of him. The Calamity can go through her before it takes him.

That is the moment when all she has sacrificed and prayed for is suddenly answered in a rush of warm, golden light that spreads forth from her and stops every machine on Blatchery Plain in its tracks. They stutter, lights going out, and collapse. She takes her right wrist in her hand, staring at the Triforce that has appeared on the back of it. Was that her power? Had Hylia finally heard her and unlocked it?

She hears him fall. She screams when she turns and sees him on the ground, blood swirling into the puddle he has fallen in, sword still gripped in his right hand. She runs to him and pulls him into her lap. His head flops to the side and he coughs, eyes rolling. She begs him to be ok, to stay with her, and she grips his tunic tightly, panic rising.  _ Don’t leave me alone, Link, please. _

He is so, so pale. 

He lets out a final soft breath, and she feels him go, as though he is finally able to relax. The Light of Hyrule has gone out in her lap.

She collapses over him, wailing. Her world has ended. There are no more reasons to push forward and fight. Why would she want to, in a place where a goddess can be so cruel as to force a trade of her birthright power for everything she has ever loved? She pulls him closer; he is a rag doll, and this breaks her heart all over. 

The Sword that Seals the Darkness is still in his grip, and the damaged blade flutters with light. She looks up sharply, tears and snot streaming down her face, in her muddied white dress, curled over her dead champion and asks. 

“He can still be saved?”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> My headcanon is that Link died on Blatchery Plain- you wake up in the Shrine of Resurrection, after all. 
> 
> I just liked how this came out. And it was nice to do something else while polishing the next chunk of the WIP.


End file.
